KAOS: Episode 4
Mel Brooks called. He would like his gag back
KAOS is a new Netflix series setting all the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology in a vaguely contemporary world. It is part comedy, part drama and part absurdist deconstruction of all of the above.
Homer, Talk To Me: Zeus is angry. How angry? He’s so angry he steals Mel Brook’s gag from History of the World Part I by using the mortal ball boys on Olympus as targets while “shooting skeet.” This might’ve been a funny moment had I not seen it done with much better setup and timing 43 years ago. Zeus is still raging about the lost watch so Hera calls Poseidon to look into it. It takes Poseidon all of 30 seconds to pin the blame on Dionysus. Dionysus also brags to Poseidon that he has a plan to impress Zeus by helping Orpheus retrieve his deceased wife from the Underworld. That disturbs Poseidon, who warns that if Orpheus succeeds Zeus will likely have Prometheus-level punishment in store for Dionysus. Unwilling to attempt a watch retrieval from the Fates, Dionysus steals a look-alike from a jewelry store and presents it to Zeus, claiming he found it lying by the gate. Zeus accepts the fake, and shares his plans for inflicting disaster and suffering upon the mortals of Krete, warning that while gods can enjoy the company of mortals, walk among them, fornicate with them, gods can never lose sight of the fact that humans are nothing more than animals.
Speaking of which, Orpheus and Anatole arrive in the Underworld after being dumped by Polyphemus into a dumpster that serves as a gate to the afterlife. The two make a pact to help each other recover the souls of their loved ones, no matter what. Just prior to attempting to swim the seemingly infinite Styx, they spot a motor boat piloted by Charon. The episode opened with a flashback showing Charon and Prometheus were lovers. Prometheus made Charon promise to help someone who he’d come across in the future sporting a scar identical to the one on Prometheus’ shoulder. As soon as Charon agreed, Prometheus stabbed him in the throat, killing him. It’s not stated, but this exchange presumably happened shortly after Prometheus gave fire to mortals and killed Charon to protect him from Zeus’ wrath. Charon agrees to take the two across the river, but halfway there he stops the boat and orders the two to fight to the death. Orpheus, being the dick that he is, immediately blindsides Anatole. Anatole, however, fights back and is on the verge of killing Orpheus when Charon notices the scar on Orpheus’ hand where the Fates stabbed him. Highly annoyed, Charon throws Anatole overboard, where he’s promptly eaten by Charybdis… or maybe Scylla? Doesn’t really matter, since there wasn’t a special effects budget to show more than swirling water. Just some kind of mythical Greek monster.
Elsewhere in the Underworld, Riddy misses stimulation. Food in the Underworld has no flavor. The world has no feeling, no texture. Existence is nothing more than tedium. Her companions by chance are locked into their routines. A “party” in the cafeteria is indistinguishable from any other meaningless lunch. The Amazon killed in the previous episode arrived in the Underworld and recognizes Caneus. Turns out, she killed him and tells him his mother ratted him out. Caneus confesses to Riddy he was born female but transitioned to male at age 15 and was subsequently exiled from Amazon society. Later, Caneus goes to visit his Cerberus dog, who he misses. The dog gets away from him and runs rampant, wreaking havoc, as dogs are wont to do. While searching for the dog Caneus comes across the deceased Nax, who is far more out of it than most dead folk. When Caneus turns his back on him, Nax is gone when he turns back. Elsewhere, Hades has an uncomfortable phone conversation with Zeus, telling the king of the gods they’ve recruited a bunch of new divers so they’re ready for any new influx. Zeus is pleased, promising a lot of new dead will be arriving soon. The call ends and Hades and Persephone breathe a sign of relief. A soul had vanished from their tracking, which shouldn’t be possible. At least Zeus hadn’t caught wind of it. But the soul, Nax, has been located so all is well again. Or is it? After some heavy-handed flirting, Riddy and Caneus happen upon a group of Underworld guards escorting Nax down into a secret dungeon. Riddy and Caneus, naturally, secretly follow. They discover the lifeless forms of hundreds, if not thousands, of souls who’d been sent through the “Frame” on the River Lethe. There is something seriously wrong going on in the Underworld.
The Oracle Says: Well, it was too good to last. The focus and intent and outright coherence of episode 3 did not carry over into part 4. Sure, there were strong points to this episode but with the cutting back and forth amongst the various plot lines everything felt… diffuse. I think I’d have enjoyed a single half hour of Orpheus and Charon crossing the Styx, or Riddy and Caneus playing Scooby Gang in the Underworld, but no, the episode skips around and none of the plots really gain momentum.
And I have to say, for a show promoted as a comedy it becomes less funny each episode. Instead it’s a show that’s deeply cynical, occasionally satirical and fleetingly absurdist. For example, David Thewlis, as strong an actor as there is today, is fine as the addled, indecisive Hades. But his milquetoast portrayal of a Lord of the Underworld worn down by relentless bureaucracy is only mildly amusing—and the narrative doesn’t seem to strive for anything beyond this basic conceit. The humor, when it comes, is often black but not always—the Cerberus dogs, for instance, aren’t vicious terrors but rather goofy, friendly hounds that are indistinguishable from any other goofy, friendly hound that happens to have three heads. That juxtaposition is nice but there’s just not that much of it here. The humor of Zeus riffing on Mel Brooks’ King Louis falls flatter than a shot peasant (or ball boy). I find myself thinking if this show had fully committed to being a bloody, gritty drama, or an absurdist comedy, or a dark satire it would be much more engaging. As it is, the show is trying to be all three and succeeding at none.